Estimar in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of estimar — «to estimate, to esteem» — is the form you will reach for most often. It talks about habits, facts and what is happening right now, and it is the first tense to master for this verb. estimar is a regular -ar verb verb, so the present follows the -ar endings. On this page you will find the full present-tense table, how the forms are built, five usage rules with examples, a comparison with the preterite, more example sentences, the mistakes learners make in this tense, an eight-question quiz and answers to common questions. A good first sentence is «Yo estimo todos los días» — I estimate every day.

Estimar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo estimo
tú estimas
él/ella/Ud. estima
nosotros/as estimamos
vosotros/as estimáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. estiman

Gerund: estimando · Past participle: estimado

How the present tense of estimar is formed

Take the stem estim — the infinitive estimar without its -ar ending — and add the present endings. The table below shows the build for every person, using the actual stem of each form:

Person Stem Ending Form
yo estim -o estimo
tú estim -as estimas
él/ella/Ud. estim -a estima
nosotros/as estim -amos estimamos
vosotros/as estim -áis estimáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. estim -an estiman

The present is the only tense where the yo form ends in -o for all three verb classes, which makes it a useful anchor: if you know estimo, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.

When to use the present tense of estimar

1. Daily routines and habits

The most common use: things you do regularly. Time words like todos los días, siempre and a veces are the giveaway.

Yo estimo todos los días. — I estimate every day.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. No time expression is needed — the statement stands on its own.

Él estima con mi familia. — He estimates with my family.

3. What is happening right now

For an action in progress, the present works on its own in Spanish, and you can also use estar + the gerund estimando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros estimamos por la mañana. — We estimate in the morning.

4. Scheduled near-future plans

Spanish often uses the present for a fixed plan in the near future, where English would say «going to». A time expression such as mañana or la semana que viene makes the future meaning clear.

Tú estimas en el trabajo. — You estimate at work.

5. Narrating and commenting

The present is the tense of live commentary and of stories told as if they were happening now. It keeps the listener in the moment, and it is the tense of instructions and explanations.

Ellos estiman a veces. — They estimate sometimes.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The present and the preterite answer different questions. The present says what happens in general or what is happening now; the preterite says what happened once and is over. Compare the pairs below — same verb, different time frame:

  • Present: Yo estimo todos los días. — I estimate every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo estimé por la tarde. — Yesterday I estimated in the afternoon.

  • A routine against a single finished event. The present describes the habit; the preterite reports the one time it happened.

  • Present: Él estima por la mañana. — He estimates in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él estimó por la tarde. — Yesterday He estimated in the afternoon.

  • What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.

  • Present: Nosotros estimamos con mi familia. — We estimate with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros estimamos dos veces. — Last week We estimated twice.

  • A shared habit against a shared finished event. If the action repeats, use the present; if it happened once and ended, use the preterite.

Example sentences: estimar in the present

  1. Yo estimo todos los días. — I estimate every day.
  2. Tú estimas en el trabajo. — You estimate at work.
  3. Él estima con mi familia. — He estimates with my family.
  4. Nosotros estimamos por la mañana. — We estimate in the morning.
  5. Vosotros estimáis cuando hay tiempo. — You estimate when there is time.
  6. Ellos estiman a veces. — They estimate sometimes.
  7. Yo estimo en el trabajo. — I estimate at work.
  8. Él estima todos los días. — He estimates every day.

Common mistakes with estimar in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros estimais.

Right: Vosotros estimáis.

The vosotros form estimáis carries a written accent on the ending. Without it the word is misspelled, and in speech the stress falls in the wrong place.

2. Using the present for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo estimo.

Right: Ayer yo estimé.

Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present estimo talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs estimé.

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos estimo.

Right: Ellos estiman.

Each person has its own form: ellos take estiman, not the yo form estimo. The -n ending on estiman is what marks the third-person plural.

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy estimo.

Right: Estoy estimando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy estimando. The conjugated present estimo never follows estar.

Quiz: estimar in the present

Test yourself on the present tense of estimar. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of estimar in the present indicative?

- (a) estimamos
- (b) estima
- (c) estimo
- (d) estimas

2. What is the tú form of estimar in the present indicative?

- (a) estimas
- (b) estima
- (c) estimamos
- (d) estimo

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of estimar in the present indicative?

- (a) estimamos
- (b) estima
- (c) estimo
- (d) estimas

4. What is the nosotros/as form of estimar in the present indicative?

- (a) estimamos
- (b) estima
- (c) estimas
- (d) estimo

5. What is the vosotros/as form of estimar in the present indicative?

- (a) estimo
- (b) estimáis
- (c) estimas
- (d) estima

6. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of estimar in the present indicative?

- (a) estimo
- (b) estima
- (c) estimas
- (d) estiman

7. What is the gerund of estimar?

- (a) estimo
- (b) estimando
- (c) estimado
- (d) estimar

8. What is the past participle of estimar?

- (a) estimar
- (b) estimé
- (c) estimando
- (d) estimado

Answer key

1. (c) — In the present indicative, the yo form of estimar is estimo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the present indicative, the tú form of estimar is estimas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of estimar is estima. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (a) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of estimar is estimamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (b) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of estimar is estimáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of estimar is estiman. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (b) — The gerund of estimar is estimando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy estimando». 8. (d) — The past participle of estimar is estimado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he estimado».

Frequently asked questions

Is estimar regular in the present?

Yes — estimar is regular in the present. The stem estim never changes and the endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an for -ar verbs (with the matching sets for -er and -ir verbs).

What is the yo form of estimar in the present?

It is estimo. Use it for talking about yourself right now.

How is the present different from the preterite for estimar?

The present (estimo) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (estimé) reports a single finished event. «Yo estimo todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo estimé» is one event that ended yesterday.

Can I use the present of estimar with estar and the gerund?

Yes — «Estoy estimando» means «I am estimating right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo estimo» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.

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